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Robin Van Persie (born August 6, 1983 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer currently employed by English FA Premier League team Arsenal F.C. He is married to Bouchra van Persie. He is also a Muslim convert, the result (it is believed) of a childhood friendship with his school's Moroccan janitor. Van Persie began as a youth player for Dutch side Excelsior Rotterdam and later Feyenoord Rotterdam, earning caps in the process for Holland's U-19 and U-21 squads. He was unexpectedly called up to Feyenoord's injury-plagued first-team squad soon after he signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the club in January 2002. These performances, including his playing an integral part in the 3-2 UEFA Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund at the De Kuip on May 8, 2002, earned him the prestigious Best Young Talent award offered by the Dutch PFA for the 2001/02 season.
Ali Karimi (born November 8, 1978 as Mohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki in Persian) is an Iranian football player, and was the Asian Player of the Year 2004 and played is currently playing for German Giants Bayern Munich for the 2005-2006 season. He was playing for Al-Ahli of the UAE before joining Bayern Munich. He started his career in Fath Football Club and experienced high growth during the time he was playing Persepolis football club and got offers from Atletico Madrid and other European clubs. However, he did not accept them and chose to play in the U.A.E. Because he wanted to stay close to Iran. He is the best dribbler in Iran and his ball skills are amongst the best in Asia. His skills are often compared to those of Maradona and therefore received the title of Persian Maradona from world newspapers. He showcased his skills in the Iran-Germany friendly game for Bam victims. He is generally regarded as the best player in Iran, along with team mate, Mehdi Mahdavikia. Karimi, in 2004 was given the prestigious Asian Player of the Year, like his fellow iranians, Mehdi Mahdavikia in 2003, Ali Daei in 1999, and Khodadad Azizi in 1996. Ali Karimi performed well at the 2004 Asian Cup, where he tied for most goals scored with five. Iran placed third in the overall tournament, behind Japan and China. On May 3 2005, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich's website announced that they have signed a one year contract with Ali Karimi who becomes the third Iranian after Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian to try his luck with Bayern. On August 14 2005, for the first time, Felix Magath put him on the starting line-up of 5-2 victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2nd day of Bundesliga, and he assisted on the second goal and scored himself the third goal and awarded from Kicker as one of the best players of the week. |
